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| Rose Rita Pottinger, Anthony Monday, Roderick Alleyn, Stephanie Plum, The Hardy Boys |
Lewis Barnavelt is a fictional American boy featured in a series of twelve children's gothic horror novels. written by John Bellairs or his successor Brad Strickland. In each book, Lewis and his group of friends face and overcome evil forces usually bent on ending the world. Alternatively, Lewis Barnavelt is the book series ("Chubby Lewis Barnavelt" in ISFDB).
In 1948, Lewis' parents are killed in a sudden car accident, and Lewis moves to the fictional town of New Zebedee, Michigan, to live at 100 High Street with his uncle, Jonathan Barnavelt. Lewis soon learns that his uncle is actually a hedge wizard and neighbor Florence Zimmermann is a kindly but very powerful witch. He also finds out that the house in which his uncle is now living once belonged to a warlock named Isaac Izard and his wife, an evil witch called Selenna. When Lewis unwittingly resurrects Selenna in an attempt to impress his friend Tarby—an act that drives the other boy away—he finds a clock Isaac hid within the wall of the house. He destroys the clock, permanently sending the evil witch back to the grave. After Lewis makes friends with Rose Rita Pottinger, his adventures continue over the next several years.
At the start of the series, Lewis is a shy and overweight ten-year-old boy who enjoys reading. At one point in the series, Rose Rita describes him as a worrywart, albeit one who displays true courage in genuinely dangerous situations. Despite often being targeted by bullies, Lewis stands up for himself at times, at first with the aid of outside forces such as Rose Rita or an amulet, and then later on his own. Lewis accidentally causes supernatural problems, but tends to be the one who helps set things right.
In the book The House With a Clock in Its Walls readers learn that when Lewis grows up, he becomes an astronomer working at Mount Palomar who will discover that a magic egg he received that first Christmas with his uncle is capable of showing him scenes on other planets.
Dedication: "For Priscilla, who let me be myself."
A boy goes to live with his magician uncle in a mansion that has a clock hidden in the walls which is ticking off the minutes until doomsday.
Dedication: "For Don Wilcox, David Walters, and Jonathan Grandine. Friends who have been friends indeed."
A painfully overweight sixth-grade boy receives a magic amulet which brings him luck, but also terrifying side effects.
The Letter, The Witch, and The Ring (1976)
Dedication: "For my son, Frank."
A young girl takes a trip with a friend of the family only to get involved with a mysterious letter, a magic ring, and a powerful witch.
No dedication
Rose Rita Pottinger and Florence Zimmermann are transported back to 1828 to save the Weiss family from being destroyed by a wicked wizard.
Dedication: "To Richard Curtis, advisor and friend."
In 1951, while visiting a distant cousin in the English countryside, thirteen-year-old Lewis Barnavelt accidentally unleases demonic forces and summons the ghost of an evil wizard bent on killing the Barnavelt family.
Dedication: "Thanks to Jeanne Sharp, reader and advisor. For Ann and Tony Lapietra, who helped me explore the haunted opera!"
Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita Pottinger are faced a dilemma when their discovery of an unpublished opera score unleases a wicked sorcerer who plans to rule the world by bringing back the dead.
Dedication: "For Bob and Elaine Lund, whose museum shows that the secret of magic is people."
When the evil sorceress Belle Frisson ensnares Rose Rita Pottinger in a magic web in order to steal her life force, Lewis Barnavelt must risk his own life to save his friend.
Dedication: "For Barbara, with all my love."
Lewis Barnavelt tries to avert disaster when the destruction of an old bridge threatens to release a diabolical force, the legacy of a long-dead evil magician.
Dedication: "In memory of three, who will be forever missed. John Bellairs. Frank Bellairs. Edward Gorey."
Lewis and Rose Rita battle Ishmael Izard, the son of the magician who tried to destroy the world with the Doomsday Clock.
The Whistle, The Grave, and The Ghost (2003)
Dedication: "This one is for the fans I've met at compleatbellairs. Keep the faith, all!"
In the woods near his home in Michigan, thirteen-year-old Lewis Barnavelt stumbles upon an ancient grave and silver whistle that draw him, his best friend Rose Rita Pottinger, his uncle Jonathan, and their friend Florence Zimmermann into a battle with an ancient evil.
The House Where Nobody Lived (2006)
Dedication: "For Amy, my daughter, who always sees the magic."
Twelve-year-old Lewis and his best friend Rose Rita investigate a strange old house in their home town and discover that they may be dealing with powerful ancient Hawaiian spirits.
Dedication: "To Jonathan, my juggling son."
In Michigan in the mid-1950s, Lewis Barnavelt is convinced that the series of accidents he and his uncle are experiencing are the result of a curse by a mysterious, hooded figure that may be part of his uncle's past.
Lewis Barnavelt Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA
